At some point in the new year, Fairfax County residents might start seeing signs for 20-mph speed limits in their neighborhood.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has proposed several streets for inclusion in a pilot study testing the reduced speed limits that’s tentatively expected to launch in summer 2026.
Surveys seeking community feedback on the suggested streets in the Dranesville, Hunter Mill, Mason and Providence districts are currently open through Dec. 19:
Dranesville District (McLean)
- Douglass Drive from Georgetown Pike to Baron Road
- Baron Road from Randolph Road to Ingleside Avenue
- Ingleside Avenue from Baron Road to Dolley Madison Blvd
Hunter Mill District (Reston)
- Glade Drive from Sunrise Valley Drive to Reston Parkway
- Pinecrest Road from Glade Drive to South Lakes Drive
Mason District (Lake Barcroft)
- Patrick Henry Drive from Leesburg Pike to Beachway Drive
- Peace Valley Lane on the west side of Justice High School
- Beachway Drive from Patrick Henry to Nevius Street
- Nevius Street from Leesburg Pike to Beachway Drive
Providence District (Oakton)
- Flagpole Lane from White Granite Drive to Borge Street
- Borge Street from Jermantown Road to Cimmaron Oaks Court
- Bushman Drive from Borge Street to Blake Lane
FCDOT worked with the Board of Supervisors’ offices for each district to identify streets to include in the pilot, which was developed after the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in May 2024 authorizing localities to drop speed limits on roads in residential and business districts from 25 mph to as low as 15 mph.
According to FCDOT, county staff wanted to consider “a variety of contexts” when determining which streets to feature in the pilot, taking factors like pedestrian activity, the availability of sidewalks and transit stops, proximity to schools and other community services into account.
The Fairfax County Vulnerability Index, which identifies areas with potentially underserved populations based on health, income, education and other data, was also referenced.
Initially, FCDOT proposed starting the pilot with three streets, but some supervisors worried that would be too few to provide a clear picture of the effectiveness of the lower speed limits.
“Working with the supervisor’s offices, the plan was to implement this pilot in two phases,” FCDOT spokesperson Benjamin Boxer said by email to FFXnow. “These four districts (Hunter Mill, Providence, Mason and Dranesville) were the first to finalize their selections for their proposed pilot roads.”
The pilot will expand to streets in the county’s other magisterial districts (Braddock, Franconia, Mount Vernon, Springfield and Sully) once the initial 20-mph zones are installed.
“A final timeline of that second phase has yet to be fully determined,” Boxer said.
FCDOT says it will collect traffic speed and volume data as well as public feedback both before and after the pilot, which is slated to run from summer 2026 into early 2027.
After completing the initial surveys and data collection this month, the county still needs to seek the Virginia Department of Transportation’s approval for the reduced speed limits. A permit application for the signage plan is expected to be submitted early next year.
With pedestrian deaths spiking to a 40-year high just two years ago, more states and local jurisdictions around the U.S. have looked at reduced speed limits as an option for making roads safer. In the D.C. region, the District, Montgomery County and Falls Church have all introduced 20-mph speed limit zones within the past five years.
Neighboring Arlington is considering taking the same step on residential and business roads after reducing its speed limit for school zones to 20 mph countywide in 2023.
